Risks of retrobulbar application of anesthetics and drugs.

In spite of hundreds of harmless retrobulbar applications of anesthetics and drugs, a certain risk still exists. In the past ten years in our Department with 7200 retrobulbar procedures performed in local anesthesia and 12500 retrobulbar applications of the drugs (corticosteroids, antibiotics, vasodilatators) 14 incidents were registered. Palpebral chemosis and retrobulbar hematoma or eyeball protrusion were transient in 11 patients. Acute disturbance of the chorioretinal circulation occurred in three patients. In one of them vascular occlusion was total with permanent loss of vision, while in the other two recuperation of vision was the sign that vascular spasm was transient.